This advice is so bad that blogging ‘gurus’ should just stop saying it.
Learning that some people are making good money creating content, I got curious about it. My grade school and high school teachers said that they like my writing, so I know that there are at least a few people who will actually read my work. If I could earn a little extra doing it, then sweet.
Of course, I also feel like my writing skills deteriorated after years in academia, and gaining advanced degrees, mostly because, at some point, writing became a chore. So, when I heard about blogging, I told myself that perhaps it’s a way to start liking writing again. Not that I hate it, but when you have to complete a 100,000-word thesis within a deadline (during a global pandemic), admittedly, the relationship with writing has soured a bit.
While waiting for my thesis to be examined (it takes moooonths), I started reading blogs about blogging and watching YouTube videos. These people looked like they really knew what they were doing, and they were very articulate too. So, I was consuming their content, taking notes, and believing everything they were saying. They were very convincing, with testimonials and success stories. After learning all the technical stuff, I registered a domain name, bought a Squarespace subscription and started my own blog. Happy ending! Nah!
The NICHE
So, now, here is where I will tell you about the worst advice I received as a beginner at blogging. Almost everyone says it’s important for you to know your NICHE (your specialization; best fit). Of course, that advice makes sense. You need to know who your target reader is, and you don’t want people to be confused about you as a blogger/writer. I listened to this advice and did my research and ended up writing about specific niche — tips for postgraduate students. I thought I nailed it. I have postgraduate degrees. During the pandemic, I even organized a learning session to help postgraduate students cope with their studies and research. I had the knowledge, and the experience. It was also not a saturated niche.
Now, here is the problem. Having knowledge and experience doesn’t mean that you will want to write consistently about the topic. In my third month of writing about my niche, it felt like I was doing my thesis all over again. Besides, my topic was so closely related to my actual job, that when I was writing after work, it was like I never left the office. Painful.
When ChatGPT was launched, YouTube was abuzz with people saying that “now you can write your blog using AI, and you can post an article in minutes.” I was even more discouraged. I really wanted to write even if I was struggling to stick to my niche, and it didn’t feel right, prompting ChatGPT to write my blog posts, especially since I was supposed to use my knowledge and experiences for my tips. People argue that you still use them in writing the prompts. But I was not really into that. It felt a little bit like justifying cheating.
So, after 6 months, I ended the blog. ☹ Part of me was sad because I enjoyed it at first, and a few people were already following it. However, it was not fun anymore, and I know that I would not even make enough money from it just to sustain it, because more experienced bloggers are maximizing AI to up their game, and even creating new blogs. I’m not a quitter, but I also know when something will just suck out my resources with no financial or even emotional return. Seth Godin’s book, The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) offers great insights about knowing when to quit. Check this author’s review of the book here.
To summarize, the advice about finding your niche and sticking to it is NOT for beginners. This advice is so bad that blogging ‘gurus’ should just stop saying it.
What is good advice, then?
I think newbie writers/bloggers will eventually find their niche, but they need to start writing and experimenting first. I recently joined Medium for this reason. My plan is to write about anything I feel like. In one week, I wrote about a range of topics such as questioning common tips on saving money, my favorite Cyndi Lauper songs, the practicality of using the IKIGAI principle, and the tricky situation of declining invitations. These articles still share something in common. They are all about trying to live our best life while navigating relationships, finances, and all the things that add drama to our already complex existence. Still, I don’t need to be in a very small box that I frankly find suffocating.
So, if you’re a beginner, I just want to reassure you that you’re not alone if you’re struggling with the ‘niche’ thing. People may disagree, but I consider it bad advice to tell a young butterfly to go back to its cocoon. Maybe I’m wrong and that’s all good. At least now I am free.
Image credit: Judit Peter
